Photo courtesy Center for Disease Control
Anopheles freeborni mosquito pumping blood.
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JBM-HH prepares for invasion of blood-sucking creatures
April showers bring May flowers … and, of course, the onset of mosquitoes. Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall’s Directorate of Environmental Management and the Directorate of Public Works are gearing up for mosquito season and the threat of West Nile Virus by testing and monitoring the insect population on base and by reminding the community of precautions that can be taken to cut down on mosquito bites.
According to Gregory Olmsted, DEM installation pest management coordinator, the base mosquito control program has several facets: identifying where mosquito breeding grounds are located; eliminating sources of standing water where mosquitoes breed; the application of a larvacide; and educating the public about measures it can take to avoid mosquitoes.
DPW is preparing to set out mosquito traps at nine locations across JBM-HH, including four on Fort Myer, three on Fort McNair and two on Henderson Hall. Locations include the caisson stables, a culvert behind the commissary and an area near the Fort Myer Officers Club pool. Mosquitoes are collected from these traps and sent to the Army Public Health Command North at Fort Meade, Md., to check for the presence of West Nile Virus. JBM-HH is part of a PHC surveillance program that monitors 12 regional military facilities, including the Armed Forces Retirement Home, Naval Observatory and Marine Barracks in the District of Columbia and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 30,000 people in the U.S. have become infected with the West Nile Virus since 1999, with 13,000 of those becoming seriously ill with fever. While no trace of the virus was detected in samples collected on JBM-HH last year, eight of the 12 military facilities tested by the Army Public Health Command came back with positive results. Nine confirmed cases of the virus occurred in Virginia last year with one of them fatal.
West Nile Virus is spread by the bite of an infected adult female mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds. Infected mosquitoes then pass the virus on to humans. Not everyone who is bitten will contract the virus. Most at risk are those with weakened immune systems.
Residents are asked to minimize their exposure to mosquitoes and West Nile by removing standing water in their yards and regularly replenishing water in birdbaths and pet dishes. Rain water can collect in old tires, trash cans, buckets, flower pots, wheelbarrows, unused kiddie pools and on the ground around drainage areas—all providing mosquitoes prime breeding ground.
Olmstead said people can avoid exposure to mosquitoes by wearing long-sleeve shirts, long pants and socks, particularly at dusk and early evening. “The best clothes to wear are those that are loose-fitting and light-colored,” he said.
“We recommend people use mosquito repellent,” Olmsted added suggesting products that contain the compounds deet, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus. “The best repellent is one you will actually use,” he said, explaining how people might avoid one product or another because of the way it smells or feels on the skin.
“Look at the label. The stronger the concentration the longer it will last,” he said. “Depending on your activity and how long you’re going to be outdoors, you can choose different concentrations.”
“It’s the same important message year after year,” Olmsted said. “People have to protect themselves. It’s important to remind them of what precautions they can take.” For more information log onto www.cdc.gov.